Pakistan declares August 2 national day of mourning over Ismail Haniyeh assassination

Funeral prayers in absentia after Friday prayer; special resolution in parliament to express solidarity with Palestine

ISLAMABAD:

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Thursday strongly denounced the killing of Hamas Political Bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran, calling it a "barbaric act" that flagrantly violated international laws.

Sharif stated that the extraterritorial assassination had sparked widespread condemnation from Pakistan and other nations, including Turkey, Russia, Iran, China, and Malaysia. These countries have expressed strong disapproval of the attack.

Chairing a meeting on the Palestine situation in Islamabad, the prime minister noted that Ismail Haniyeh's children and grandchildren had also been brutally killed.

The meeting included parliamentarians from allied political parties such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Balochistan Awami Party (BAP), Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), Istehkam Pakistan Party (IPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q), Pakistan Muslim League-Zia (PML-Z), and the National Party.

Sharif highlighted that the bloodshed in Palestine has continued for nine months, resulting in the deaths of over 40,000 innocent Palestinians, including thousands of children. He stressed that the violence persists, with numerous Palestinians being killed daily.

"The world is silent over this barbarism," he said, adding that "such terrorism and extremism are highly condemnable."

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The prime minister criticised Israel for ignoring verdicts from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and United Nations resolutions. He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of attempting to destroy Palestine.

Sharif expressed gratitude to Western countries like Ireland and Spain for their support of the Palestinian cause and the two-state solution.

The attendees collectively expressed their anger and sorrow over the ongoing Israeli aggression against Palestinians. They unanimously condemned the brutality and showed full solidarity with their Palestinian brothers and sisters.

The meeting demanded immediate humanitarian aid access to defenceless Palestinians. It was decided that Pakistan will continue to supply relief materials and provide medical assistance to injured Palestinians, including bringing them to Pakistan for treatment. Palestinian medical students will also be offered admission to Pakistani medical colleges on humanitarian grounds.

As a gesture of solidarity and condemnation of Israeli actions, the meeting declared August 2 as a national day of mourning in Pakistan. Participants also decided to hold a funeral prayer in absentia for Ismail Haniyeh after Friday prayers across the country and to present a special resolution in Parliament expressing complete solidarity with Palestine.

"Israel is violating UN resolutions, International Court of Justice rulings, and international laws through its ongoing genocide and state brutality in Palestine, while the international community remains a silent spectator," said the participants.

The meeting urged the international community to abandon its neutral stance and take a clear position to stop these atrocities. They warned that failure to do so would undermine the relevance of international laws and institutions for future generations.

The participants called on the global community, including the United Nations, to break their silence, stop the ongoing genocide of Palestinians by Zionist forces, and bring Israel to justice for its war crimes and oppression.